Jalen Rose questions Phil Jackson's character over recent comments, says he 'made millions' off the backs of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant

Michael Jordan's former coach with the Chicago Bulls, Phil Jackson, spoke with Rick Rubin on the "Tetragrammaton with Rick Rubin" podcast, wherein, he has stopped watching the NBA ever since the league placed social justice slogans on the court and on jerseys during the bubble tournament with respect to George Floyd's death.

In response to Jackson's controversial comments that have gone viral since yesterday, ESPN's Jalen Rose did not take the Hall of Fame coach's comments lightly as he responded and gave his thoughts on the matter.

"The same Phil Jackson that won championships with some of the greatest Black athletes in the history of the game – Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant," Rose said. "Made millions on their backs and off their sweat equity. When somebody shows you who they are, believe them. So, stop watching … forever."

The NBA has become more vocal since Jordan's era, wherein, the league has not shied away from taking a stand against racial and social injustices. Due to this growth, comments like the ones Phil Jackson made are no longer tolerated by players, coaches, and other members of the league.

Jalen Rose also didn't appreciate the comment Phil Jackson made about mocking the slogans on the backs of players as he bonded with his grandkids while watching the games.

"And they had things on their backs like ‘Justice.’ I made a little funny thing like, 'Justice just went to the basket and Equal Opportunity just knocked him down.’ … So, my grandkids thought that was pretty funny to play up those names. So, I couldn't watch that," Jackson said.

Phil Jackson also discussed on the podcast how there were NBA players back in the day that went into representatives and senators when they retired from the league but made it a point that their politics never got involved in the game.

Phil Jackson's legacy with Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant

Phil Jackson is an 11-time champion and is often regarded as one of the greatest coaches in NBA history.

Jackson is well recognized for his intuitive integration of the legendary "Triangle Offence," which he used while coaching the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers.

His Hall of Fame coaching career began with Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls, who went on to win six NBA Championships, helping to immortalize Jordan's great legacy. After winning his sixth championship with Michael Jordan and the Bulls, Jackson took a year off from coaching before returning to the Los Angeles Lakers as head coach in 1999.

During his time with the Los Angeles Lakers, he was able to lead the team to 5 NBA Championships as he coached Hall of Fame players Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal and Pau Gasol. On June 18, 2004, Jackson stepped down from his position and retired once again from coaching in the league.

By the time he won his 11th ring, Phil Jackson already had a respected coaching career that was considered a "cherry on top" at that point.